Discover the perfect blend of flavour and nutrition with this Healthy Taco Salad Recipe. Packed with seasoned ground beef, fresh vegetables, and a zesty dressing, this dish is a satisfying and wholesome take on a classic favourite.
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📋 Taco Salad Ingredients
- Seasoned Beef: Preferably organic. Adds rich, savoury flavour with a hint of spice. I use my own homemade taco seasoning, however, you could also use a store-bought taco seasoning.
- Kidney Beans: Provides added protein and a delightful texture. It also makes the salad more satisfying and filling.
- Mixed Salad Greens: Offers a fresh and crisp contrast.
- Bell Pepper: Adds a pop of sweet, crunchy goodness. Any colour bell pepper works, however, I adore the colour contrast between the pink pickles and orange pepper.
- Tomato: You can choose between larger salad tomatoes and sweeter cherry tomatoes.
- Red Onion Pickles: Offers a zesty bite and extra crunch that complements the dish. Check out my red onion and lime pickles recipe which pairs beautifully with the Mexican flavours in this salad. You could also substitute for raw red onion.
- Avocado Lime Dressing: This creamy and zesty dressing brings together all the flavours.
🥣 Instructions
For the Seasoned Ground Beef
First things first, you need to make the seasoned ground beef. I like to make a bigger batch that I can then either store in the refrigerator or freeze into portions for later use.
The below recipe uses 500g raw meat, which makes around 400g of cooked beef. This is enough for four individual portions at 100g each.
1. Cook the beef in a frying pan over medium-high heat until it browns and any liquid evaporates (approximately 5-10 minutes). No additional oil is required.
2. Sprinkle evenly with taco seasoning, add tomato purée, and mix well to coat the meat. Cook for a few more minutes, adding a splash of water as needed to prevent sticking.
Season with salt to taste and set aside 100g of cooked meat.
Hint 1: Don't stir the meat too often at the start so that the meat has a chance to brown a little. Doing this add loads of extra flavour, just be careful not to burn it!
Hint 2: If you are using beef with a higher fat content (20%), pour any excess grease in a separate container to dispose of (do not pour down the sink). This step is not necessary for lower fat content meat (around 5%).
For the Avocado Lime Dressing
3. For the dressing, in a small blender, combine avocado, lime juice, fresh garlic, parsley, extra virgin olive oil and salt.
4. Blend until smooth, adding a splash of water if needed to help to combine. Set aside while you assemble the rest of the salad ingredients.
Assemble Your Healthy Taco Salad
5. Wash and drain your vegetables, then roughly chop the tomatoes and bell pepper. Finely chop the fresh coriander and spring onion.
6. Add the chopped tomato and bell pepper to your salad bowl alongside a portion (100g) of your seasoned ground beef, a portion (60g) of rinsed kidney beans, and a generous handful of mixed salad greens.
7. Top your salad with some pickled red onion, as well as the chopped fresh coriander and spring onion.
8. Pour over the Avocado Lime Dressing and serve immediately. Enjoy!
💫 Substitutions
- Ground Turkey: Swap beef for ground turkey for a leaner option.
- Beans: Substitute the kidney beans for any cooked beans you have such as black beans, cannellini or adzuki.
- Red Onion Pickles: Instead of topping with pickled onions, you could also use finely chopped raw red onion. If you find the natural flavour of onion too spicy, you can soak it in cold water for half an hour before using.
⚖️ Variations
- Grain Bowl: Serve the salad over cooked quinoa or brown rice for added heartiness.
- Vegan Twist: Skip the meat and crumble tofu or tempeh in the same homemade taco seasoning for a completely plant-based alternative.
- Burrito: Throw all the ingredients together and serve in a socca (chickpea flour) wrap to transform into a filling burrito.
🥄 Equipment
You'll need a frying pan, a small blender for the dressing, and a mixing bowl for the salad.
🥡 Storage
Once all of the ingredients have been combined, consume leftover salad within 1-2 days. For maximum freshness, keep the ingredients separate until you're ready to enjoy your taco salad.
Separately, the avocado lime dressing will keep for 3-4 days, however, it is best enjoyed fresh.
Once cooled, the ground beef can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
❓ FAQ
Absolutely, swap the meat for tofu or tempeh, or increase the portion of beans for a delightful vegetarian and vegan version.
More Candida Diet Salads
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favourite dishes to serve with this healthy taco salad:
Ground Beef Healthy Taco Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- For the Seasoned Beef serves 4:
- 500 g beef
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning*
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 60 ml water
- For the Avocado Lime Dressing serves 4:
- ½ avocado
- 2 tablespoons lime juice juice of 1 lime
- 1 small clove fresh garlic
- Handful fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- For the Salad serves 1:
- 100 g seasoned beef see recipe below
- 60 g kidney beans cooked
- 1 tablespoon pickled red onion – can substitute for ¼ red onion
- 30 g mixed salad greens
- ½ bell pepper
- Toppings:
- Chopped fresh coriander
- Spring onion
Instructions
- For the Seasoned Beef:
- Cook the beef in a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat for around 5-10 minutes until it begins to brown, and any liquid has evaporated. If you are using high fat content meat, strain any excess cooking grease in a container to dispose of it accordingly.
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning evenly over the beef and add the tomato purée. Mix well to coat the meat. Fry for a couple more minutes, adding a splash of water as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add the salt and taste to ensure the seasoning is to your liking.
- Set aside one quarter (100g) of the cooked meat while you assemble the salad bowl. Store the remaining meat in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- For the Avocado Lime Dressing:
- In a small blender, combine the avocado, lime juice, fresh garlic, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and water.
- Blend in small bursts until the mixture is smooth. Add a small amount of water if needed to thin the dressing.
- For the Salad:
- Thoroughly wash and drain your vegetables. Roughly chop the tomatoes, bell pepper, fresh coriander and spring onion.
- To a salad bowl, add the chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, cooked kidney beans, seasoned beef, and pickled red onion.
- Before serving, top with chopped fresh coriander, chopped spring onion, and a drizzle of the avocado lime dressing. Enjoy immediately.
- Storage: Consume leftover salad within 1-2 days. For freshness, keep the ingredients separate until you're ready to enjoy your next taco salad.
Notes
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